


Ensnared

by Blackeagle1



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Because I'm a sap like that, Blue Lions Ferdinand von Aegir, But it's there, Dedue is mentioned but not actually there, Happy Ending, I do have a beta, I promise, M/M, Not too shippy, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), i am ferdinand von aegir, oh yeah, so we can't die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27318748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackeagle1/pseuds/Blackeagle1
Summary: Rumors of people disappearing into an Adrestian forest forces the newly crowned king of Faerghus to enlist Ferdinand's help. What was actually waiting for them when they got there, however, was not what either Ferdinand or Dimitri could have ever expected.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Ensnared

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I just had to jump on the Halloween bandwagon and write a Halloween fanfic! So enjoy my attempt at writing something somewhat scary, though I'm not sure how well that turned out...
> 
> Also, shout-out to my amazing boyfriend who betaed this for me!

By all accounts, the day had started off normal enough. Reconstruction was well underway, the problems the people presented being recorded and filed away for his review later in the evening. He was honestly just lucky that he had been able to reclaim his family's titles and land, grateful for the generosity that King Dimitri had given him. It was a stroke of luck in and of itself that the king had been able to recover the Aegir lands at all, given the state of disrepair Edelgard's regime had left them in. Now, only a few months after the war, the survivors were finally able to pick up the shattered pieces and begin what everyone knew would be a long recovery process.

Ferdinand sat in his father's old office in the Aegir estate, reviewing documents and petitions Dimitri had seen fit to send his way. The process of restoring a war torn continent was a daunting task, one that Dimitri could not handle on his own. Due to this, he relied on the nobles across the land to carry out tasks that pertained to their particular region of control. The paperwork Ferdinand was currently staring intently at was an example of this policy. It was a good system, and proved that Dimitri would indeed make a fine ruler. Ferdinand had high hopes for the future the king was working towards, and he was more than happy to lend a hand in creating that future. Thinking of the vision Dimitri had for Fodlan, however, got him thinking on what Edelgard's vision may have been. What Hubert had fought and died for with such devotion. Ferdinand paused in his writing and frowned at the paper in front of him. Hubert...thinking about his old rival from school always made him feel something strange inside, though he did not know what or why. He always ended up remembering the petty arguments they would get in, the good points and insights Hubert said that a younger Ferdinand always disregarded. But why was he getting distracted by memories of the past when he had work to do? The man was dead, so he should leave it at that. Shaking his head to distract his mind from such thoughts, he resumed his work on the petition before him, in the present.

As he glanced over the latest crop report, a knock came at the office door. Without even looking up, Ferdinand called, "Come in."

The door opened rather slowly, prompting Ferdinand to glance up. At the door stood a rather young and nervous looking page, who kept shifting from foot to foot. "I apologise for disturbing you, Duke Aegir," the young boy managed, "I...have a message for you. From King Dimitri."

Ferdinand smiled his best smile, trying to get the lad to feel more comfortable, "I assure you that you are interrupting nothing. A message from the king, you say?"

"Ah, yes, sir. And he seemed rather...urgent, when he gave it to me."

Ferdinand's smile faltered slightly, but only for a split second before returning full force, "...I see. Well. Let us see what it is, then?"

What could have happened that would make the king act as urgently as the page claimed? Ferdinand tried to run through a mental list of possible reasons for Dimitri's actions, but none of them fit their current situation. Without a word, the skittish page handed an envelope to Ferdinand, with the royal family's wax seal pressed onto it. Ferdinand accepted it with a forced smile and stared at the Blaiddyd coat of arms for a split second before breaking the seal and removing Dimitri's letter. One glance over the letter's contents immediately told him that this was not a formal correspondence, though he could sense the urgency behind the words.

Ferdinand,

I do hope that this letter reaches you safely. I employed my best page for the job for this very reason. There is... something I wish to discuss with you, but it must be in person. Something strange has come up that pertains to the Adrestia region that I feel you must be alerted to, as you are the one I entrusted the governance of the region to. I would ask that you find the time to visit me in Fhirdiad so that we may discuss this development in person. I would have written it here in this letter, however I believe that the enormity of the situation wouldn't be properly relayed. I hope to see you very soon.

Sincerely,  
Dimitri

It was as Ferdinand feared. He wondered what could have possibly taken place in Adrestia that he would not have heard about, but the king would. It had to be something that the people alerted Dimitri to, which meant they went over Ferdinand himself and straight to the highest authority in the continent. While at first he felt hurt, he rationalized it with the fact that whatever it was, the people were afraid that it was something that only the king could handle. And that...truly worried him. What in the world had happened? He turned to the page, whose eyes widened upon taking in his expression. 

"Thank you for bringing this to me," he began, "Please, run ahead and alert King Dimitri that I will see him in Fhirdiad as soon as possible. I have a few things I must attend to here first."

The boy nodded, "Y-yes, Duke Aegir. At once!"

Ferdinand nodded as the page rushed out of the room. It seemed the documents he was working on had to wait. Whatever had happened seemed a far more pressing matter to attend to. He took a moment to collect himself, then stood up to go tie up a few loose ends in preparation for his departure. He hoped that whatever situation Dimitri had been alerted to would, while potentially dire, be easy to resolve.

______________

With the amount of time Ferdinand had spent wandering Fodlan back during the war, he would have thought that he would get used to the bitter chill of Faerghus's climate. As it was, he could not stop himself from shivering in his saddle as he approached the capital of the whole continent. He could even feel his mare, Snow (named after the beautiful white snowdrifts of Faerghus that matched her coat perfectly), trembling underneath him. He supposed that this was what happened when someone used to a warmer climate moved into a colder one. He recalled Petra having similar problems when she first came to Fodlan. This must be the same type of issue that she initially had to deal with. Thankfully, he had already been traveling through the Faerghus countryside for some time now, so the capital could not be too far off.

True to his suspicions, Fhirdiad soon came into view on the horizon. Relief coursed through the noble at the sight, as it meant he would soon be out of the cold. He bent low over Snow and whispered encouragement into her ear to spur her on even faster, lightly tapping her sides for a bit of emphasis. The horse trotted forward eagerly, also wishing for the warmth of the indoors. It did not take too long, as a result, to reach Fhirdiad's front gates. The soldiers stationed there immediately recognized him, and swiftly moved to open the gates wide for their passage. He nodded his thanks at them as he went by, not wishing to seem ungrateful or arrogant to the people. He most certainly did not want to follow in his father's footsteps…

The castle itself was not that hard to get to either, given his familiarity with the king himself. A servant greeted him inside the castle courtyard, offering warm tea and to take Snow to the stables for him, both of which he gratefully accepted. A second servant escorted him inside as he sipped at the tea (chamomile, Dimitri's favorite, as he had expected), humming in appreciation for the warmth the beverage provided. It seemed that Dedue had prepared this brew, not that he was surprised. That man's dedication to Dimitri seemed borderline religious, so of course he knew the best way to prepare Dimitri's favorite refreshments. Though...the fact that he had already been given his tea...Dimitri must have been waiting on him, and as soon as he stepped into the castle's grand foyer, this suspicion proved true.

"Hello, Ferdinand," Dimitri greeted him from near the room's large fireplace.

"Ah, greetings to you, Dimitri!" Ferdinand replied, "It is not often that you greet your guests in the foyer. Is the thing you wish to discuss truly so dire?"

"I suppose "dire" is one word we could use, yes. However, I did not meet you in the foyer to discuss it. Would you please follow me?"

"Of course."

Dimitri led Ferdinand off down what seemed like a random corridor to the ginger. At least, it appeared to be random until the king pushed a door open into a cozy sitting room a bit out of the way from the rest of the castle. So, Dimitri wished to discuss the strange development privately. Well, Ferdinand would be lying if he said this did not frighten him at least a little bit.

"There. This is much better," Dimitri remarked. He took a moment with his back turned to Ferdinand, further worrying the paladin, when he finally turned and met him in the eye, "I am afraid that I have had some...troubling rumors brought to my attention, and they pertain to Adrestia."

"I have not done anything wrong...have I?" Ferdinand worriedly remarked.

"No, no, nothing like that. I merely brought you here so that none of the castle workers would hear. I do not wish to cause unnecessary concern." Dimitri paused again and took a breath, "It has come to my attention that there has been a string of troubling disappearances throughout the former Empire territories as of late, all occurring within the last few months. At first, I was suspicious of these rumors being only that: rumors. So I deployed some soldiers to investigate into these occurrences… None have returned." Dimitri looked over Ferdinand's shocked expression, "Thus, I wanted to get your opinion on these matters, as you are the one governing the region. I will be honest, I wish to travel there myself to investigate personally, but I know that Dedue and the others would try to stop me." He chuckled, "Ah, what am I saying? You will doubtless say the same. "You are the king, Dimitri! You shouldn't put yourself at risk like that!" Trust me, I've heard it all."

Ferdinand blinked, "On the contrary, Your Majesty. I wish to go there myself as well, and I cannot forget just how amazing a fighter you are. You can certainly handle yourself in a fight, and I am shocked the others have so quickly forgotten that. I would certainly be reassured to have you there with me. After all, who knows what we would encounter? However, I do believe we should at least take a few soldiers, to ease the minds of everyone else, if that is fine with you?"

"Of course. Then we shall depart as swiftly as possible. Please, wait in the foyer until I return with the escort."

"As you wish, Dimitri."

_____________

As soon as Dimitri had gathered what he thought was enough soldiers, he and Ferdinand set out south and towards Adrestia. From what Ferdinand could tell off of the information Dimitri had shared with him, the disappearances were the most frequent in the western part of the former Imperial lands, around the Hevring and former Nuevelle territories. The accounts that had reached the king's ears were of people venturing into a forest on the border between these two territories and never making it back out. So, naturally, that was where the two of them were headed, along with their escort. It had been a while since Ferdinand had been this far west in Adrestia, so he supposed it was no surprise that he had not initially heard anything about the disappearances. He watched the rolling fields of the former Empire rush past them as they rode by, trying to not let the gravity of what they were investigating get to him. People's lives were possibly at stake, so he could not afford to allow fear or apprehension get the best of him. But still... something about this just did not sit right with him. He could only hope that he was imagining things…

It took them approximately three days to travel from Faerghus to the forest all the rumors stemmed from. At a glance, there did not seem to be anything wrong with the place. It was just a forest. Ferdinand stared at the treeline as the soldiers around him prepared for the hike ahead. He was suddenly glad that they had left the horses back in that last town they had passed through. The poor animals would certainly not be able to handle traversing the forest floor. He spared a look over at Dimitri for the cue to begin, and also to check on him. The king appeared to be perfectly relaxed, though Ferdinand knew the he could sport quite the poker face if he wanted to. He most likely just wanted to keep the soldiers calm. When Dimitri caught him looking, he shot him a confident smile to mask his uneasiness, and was relieved when he got a reassuring smile back. All that was left now was to wait for Dimitri's order to begin.

Eventually, Ferdinand saw Dimitri nod to himself, then call, "It's time everyone. Move out!"

Ferdinand followed behind Dimitri and a few of the soldiers who had taken the lead. The formation they had taken put Dimitri and himself in the middle of the group, where they could be easily defended, despite both of their prowesses in battle. He heard Dimitri give an indignant huff, but not say anything. Truthfully, he understood his feelings, especially now that he was receiving the same treatment. They were not fragile, but as the highest ranked individuals here, the soldiers would naturally see to their safety above all else, particularly Dimitri's. So he also followed along with the formation in silence. If it made them feel better about the situation, then it was for the best. As time wore on, however, with the surrounding trees seeming to loom over them menacingly, Ferdinand slowly began to appreciate the added sense of security. His sense of unease was only worsening the further they traveled into this forest, picking their way over fallen logs and past ravines. It seemed, at least to Ferdinand, that the forest was watching their every move, almost as if they were trespassing and we're unwelcome. The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.

After what felt like a long time, Ferdinand began to notice a change in the density of the forest around them. It looked as if the trees were beginning to thin out, indicating a clearing of some sort. He was not the only one who noticed too, if the mutterings of the soldiers closest to him was anything to go by. Soon enough, the trees eventually ended, to be replaced by a large empty space. Well...empty was not the correct term. They all gasped as they beheld the massive manor before them, standing like some sort of forboding sentry of the forest. It was ginormous, and styled off of old Imperial architecture, with it's slanted roof and stone brickwork. It also appeared long abandoned, if the vines and weeds choking it's exterior were anything to judge by. It also looked as if a part of the roof on the far side had caved in, though Ferdinand could not be certain. The overall atmosphere was yet another turnaway, as it gave off a dark and forboding vibe. It was almost as if the building was offended by the mere presence of someone living. The men all shifted from foot to foot anxiously, shooting looks between the manor, each other, and Dimitri. Dimitri himself was staring at the old house distrustfully, his expression suggesting that it had offended him and not, as Ferdinand felt, the other way around.

"Well, this has to be the place," Ferdinand eventually offered, "Should we...go in?"

Another murmer of unease swept through the soldiers before they all looked to Dimitri for his answer. He was silent for a moment, thinking, before nodding, "Yes. I do not see any other choice. Everyone, be careful, and do not stray too far from each other. I do not wish to lose any of you."

After a consensual affirmation, the group cautiously ventured towards the front door, which a soldier carefully pushed against. It swung inward without too much trouble, save for the loud creak the old hinges made from the movement. Ferdinand winced. If anyone was here, there was no longer any doubt that they had unannounced visitors. To make matters worse, once the last person stepped past the threshold, the door slammed shut behind them, an audible click of the lock engaging following not even a second later. This seemed to be the last straw for the nervous escort, who all screamed and scattered, leaving a baffled Ferdinand with an angry Dimitri.

"Did a single one of them listen to a word I said?!" Dimitri ranted, "Honestly! Now we are all completely separated!"

Ferdinand watched the rant for a few moments before turning to fully assess their surroundings. It was obviously a foyer of some type, complete with broken down furniture and a grand staircase leading to the second floor. Ferdinand's eyes traveled up the stairs before landing on a figure at the top of them. He gasped and blinked, hoping that his mind was playing a trick on him and that he was just seeing things. But no, when he opened his eyes again, the figure was still there, and it seemed as if it was watching them. Not wanting to take his gaze off of the figure, Ferdinand slowly inched his way over to Dimitri, watching the top of the stairs carefully. 

"Dimitri…" Ferdinand nervously began, "Is it just me, or is someone...watching us? From upstairs? Please tell me I am just seeing things!"

Dimitri glanced at him weirdly before looking up at where he was pointing. Much to Ferdinand's horror, the king's eyes widened in shock upon sight of the figure.

"No... you're not just seeing things," he verified.

The figure stood there and watched them for a solid minute, before the sound of a door opening caught it's attention. It turned its head (?) in the direction of the sound, glanced back at them, then promptly vanished. Just as Ferdinand was about to relax, however, a new voice rang out that made him jump horribly.

"Hey….is that you Dimitri? And Ferdinand too?"

Ferdinand could not believe his ears. That voice belonged to someone neither himself or Dimitri had seen since the war! It was-

"Claude?! Is that really you?!" Dimitri exclaimed.

The Riegan himself stepped out from the shadows, presumably where another door was. He gave them both one of his famous lopsided grins, then wasted no time in coming to their sides, "It really IS you two! It's been months!"

"Claude. How can you go and vanish on us all just to reappear in a place like this?" questioned Dimitri. Ferdinand was wondering the same, so he gazed at Claude expectantly.

"About that...I was actually brought here. I'll be honest, I tried to head to Almyra when I left the Alliance. But then...I ran into someone I didn't expect to run into at the border."

Ferdinand cocked his head in curiosity, "...Who?"

"It was Hubert."

Hubert. The same Hubert that died fruitlessly defending Enbarr, who had been haunting Ferdinand's memory for months now. Was there no escape from the notorious Vestra?

"He told me to come to this forest before I left Fodlan, for some reason," Claude continued, oblivious to Ferdinand's inner turmoil, "The way he said it too...I don't know. It sounded... desperate, maybe? Either way, it sounded way too important, and I was a technical free agent in the war at that point, so I decided to humor him. Been stuck here ever since."

Ferdinand glanced around, searching for the dark figure from the stairs. Had Claude seen, or even met, that ominous stranger? Claude must have seen his restless behavior, for he said, "Looking for the master of the house?"

Ferdinand whipped his head towards him, "...What?"

"You know. Dark lurking figure, can't see any real details. Always staring at you. That's the master of the house. He's the reason I'm trapped here." Claude looked off, "You two should escape while you can, before he traps you too. It's too late for me…"

"No, not without my men. Or you," Dimitri argued, "We all will escape together, and…"

Claude watched expectantly, "...Aaaannnd?"

"I hope...that you will stay this time. I….we would really like it if you did."

"Oh…"

Ferdinand was only half listening, for the majority of his attention was riveted on the "master of the house," as Claude had put it. Only this time, he was right behind Claude!

"Claude! Behind you!" he exclaimed.

The former duke flipped around just in time to be grabbed by the shadowy figure. Claude struggled in vain against his grip for a few moments before the figure snapped his fingers and paralyzed him. Ferdinand and Dimitri could only watch on in horror as his face was finally partially revealed from beneath what they could now see was a black cloak. The potion of the master's face they could see was his mouth, which opened right over Clause's neck to reveal elongated fangs. A vampire! But then the cloak fell the rest of the way off to show the figure's full face, and Ferdinand gasped.

The cloaked figure was Hubert!

"Hubert?! What are you-" Ferdinand began.

"Hush, Ferdinand," the vampire Vestra started, "I will deal with you when I'm done with these two."

"N-no, please. Leave them be…"

Hubert glanced up, "Hmm? Or what will you do if I don't?"

"I-I…" He looked at the ground. What would he do? There was no way he could contend with Hubert now that he has revealed his true nature. But he also could not allow him to do anything to Dimitri or Claude. Then there was the strange feeling he always got when he recalled Hubert. Well, he would not know until he tried.

"Hubert," he began, "Why are you doing this? All these innocent people…"

"Hmm, let's see," Hubert began sarcastically, "You betrayed the Empire, then helped to topple it and killed Lady Edelgard. So, when I naturally survived the assault on Enbarr, I had to devise a strategy to lure you away on your own. I merely wanted you - and only you - to myself, even back in the academy. So, this was my plan, as well as your punishment. Now you get to watch as I drain these two dry!"

"No! I...if I stay here with you voluntarily, will you let them go?"

"...Now why would you do that?"

Ferdinand finally brought his gaze up to meet Hubert's, "I will admit, I feel... something, when I recall the moments we spent together. I believe I will not hate it here completely as a result. Plus..you seem lonely, and that's a miserable existence to live. I can at least alleviate that."

"Ferdinand!" Dimitri hissed.

Hubert contemplated him for a solid minute, considering. Ferdinand could do nothing but stand there in anxiety, awaiting his verdict. Eventually, Hubert responded, "Hm. Willing to sacrifice your freedom to save your friends. How...admirable. It does, however, work in my favor. Very well, I accept. I will even allow you to keep your position and correspondence with Dimitri to keep Fodlan running. It's not the people's fault I have a grudge."

A relieved smile spread across Ferdinand's face. So, Hubert was not completely heartless. That made this decision a bit easier. Claude and Dimitri stared at him in shock, but the deed was done. At the very least, Ferdinand knew that they would be safe. And that is all that really matters, that no more innocent lives had to be lost or ruined.

______________

A few months have passed since the deal with Hubert had been struck, and Ferdinand could not say that he hated the arrangement. In fact, he thought that it actually worked out in his favor. Through his enforced closeness with Hubert, he found that the strange feeling he felt about the vampire was not a figment of his imagination. He did, in fact, like Hubert. Quite a bit. But what actually surprised him more than this revelation about himself was that Hubert... actually liked him back, which was part of the driving force behind the scheme he had cooked up. And now here they were. Ferdinand was not sure if he could be classified as a technical "vampire's bride," but he certainly did not feel like a hostage anymore. Hubert definitely made sure of that. And speaking of Hubert…

"Any new mail to be sent out, Ferdie?" the vampire questioned upon entering Ferdinand's room in the manor.

Ferdinand glanced over at him from the desk at the window, "Yes, actually. A few letters and a finished document must be sent to Fhirdiad posthaste."

"Of course."

Ferdinand watched with a fond smile as Hubert left the room with his mail. While it was not what he had imagined his life to turn out to be, he honestly could not be happier. He could even keep in contact with all his other friends, and even have them visit, since Hubert promised him that he would not feed on innocent, unsuspecting people again. No, he certainly could not ask for any more. And he would not have it any other way.


End file.
